I am my mom's first born and she always told me that when she went into labor and her water broke she had no idea what was going on. She called her mother (who was a country away in England) and she's the one who told her to get to the hospital. My mom was scared and had no knowledge whatsoever about childbirth. She has never learned about how to manage the pain of contractions. She had a badly placed epidural (given by an anesthesiologist in training!!) and in the end I had to be pulled out with forceps.
This story has taught me that I want to be knowledgeable and aware of my options when it's my time to give birth. I want to understand what's happening with my body and I want to feel at peace. I don't want pain to make me panic or feel disempowered. I want my child's birth to be a positive experience for both of us.
So...I am reading as much as I can, figuring out now what I need for my postpartum care, using medical providers who I trust, planning who I'd like to be with me when that time comes, planning what I want to happen immediately following birth (do not whisk my son away to weigh him as that's not a priority if the birth is normal!)
Will things go perfectly? I hope so but I can't guarantee that. But at least I will be educated and feel empowered to make the best choices for my son and I.
